About CCOM

Chicago College of Oriental Medicine (CCOM) is dedicated to preparing the next generation of healthcare practitioners through rigorous academic training, hands-on clinical experience, and a deep foundation in traditional Chinese medicine.

We welcome students from around the world to study time-tested medical systems with over 2,000 years of history, while gaining the skills needed to practice in today’s modern healthcare environment. Located in Chicago, CCOM provides students with access to a diverse patient population and real-world clinical experience in an urban setting.

International Student Admission

Chicago College of Oriental Medicine welcomes students from all over the world regardless of nationality, religion, sex, or race. Any student who is not a permanent resident or citizen of the United States and its territories will be considered an international student for purposes of admission.

International students are encouraged to contact the International Admission Representative as soon as possible to allow sufficient time to complete all necessary steps in the administrative process.

General international student admission requirements:

1. Provide evidence of education equal to or greater than U.S. associate degree as evaluated by NACES accredited credential evaluation agency. Transcripts will become a part of the applicant’s file and must be evaluated by the Chief Academic Officer to ensure that these minimum standards have been met prior to acceptance. 
2. Submit affidavit of financial support from a parent, relative, guardian, or organization to cover student’s tuition and living expenses. It must be showing sufficient funds for at least one year of study to receive an I-20.
3. Applicants must demonstrate English proficiency through one of the following:

TOEFL iBT — Minimum overall score of 61

• Speaking: 20
• Listening: 17

IELTS — Minimum overall band score of 6

• Speaking: 6.5
• Listening: 6

Prior English-Medium Education — The applicant has completed at least two year 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits) of undergraduate- or graduate-level, English-based education at an institution

• Accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education, or
• Located in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada (except Quebec), New Zealand, or Ireland

In addition to the above standard requirements, applicants in different categories must complete the following steps:

When Coming from Abroad:

International students seeking admission to Chicago College of Oriental Medicine (CCOM) directly from abroad are encouraged to contact the International Student Admission Representative as soon as possible to allow sufficient time to fulfill all necessary steps in the administrative process. 

Students can use the following Coming from Abroad Checklist to make preparation for their enrollment. Upon receipt of all the required documentation, CCOM will issue a SEVIS Form I-20 to qualified students. 

Students whose visas are subsequently denied by the U.S. consulate must immediately notify the college DSO about this denial so that we can advise on whether your SEVIS record needs to be cancelled or if it can be updated for a future term. You will likely need to keep the I-20 to discuss the denial reasons with DSO and plan for a potential reapplication. If you choose to reapply, you may need to obtain a new or updated Form I-20 from CCOM if the original one becomes outdated or if you are deferring to a later semester.

When Change of Status is required within the United States:

If you came to the United States to work, travel, or for any other purpose and changed your purpose to study, or H-1B facing layoff still want to stay in the country, you can change your visa status to F1 and study in one of CCOM’s programs. 

Please contact our admission representative as soon as you made this decision. You may need to consult an immigration attorney and file the I-539 before your current authorized stay expires. It is recommended to file at least 30-45 business days before your stay expires or as soon as you determine the need.

Some visas may not be changed into a F-1 student visa, such as C (transit), D (crewman), K (fiancé/spouse), M-1 (vocational student), and WT/WB (Visa Waiver Program) . J-1 status subject to the two-year home residency requirement (212(e)) are also ineligible without a waiver.

Please see the attached full list of requirements for Change of Status students. (provide a link here)

Note: Students who enter the college under the Change of Status designation are expected to enroll full-time course of study to maintain the new status. And once the educational goals have been achieved, the F-1 student is expected to return to his or her residence abroad.

When Transferring from a College within the United States:

CCOM is more than happy to welcome international students who wish to transfer from other SEVP-certified colleges and universities in the U.S. 

If transfer from a TCM college, the enrollment requirements of that college must be equal or higher than CCOM standard. If not from a TCM college, you need to provide transcript that have completed the minimum equivalent of 60 semester/90 quarter credits through a college accredited by an accrediting authority recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education. 

You may download the full list of requirements for transferring students.

Please fill out and sign the Transfer Verification Form from CCOM. 

Reinstatement

If a student has lost their status and wants to transfer to CCOM and study in one of the CCOM’s programs, the student can use the Reinstatement checklist attached and our DSO will work with the student on reinstatement.

Note: Student going through the reinstatement process will need to start classes and continue classes till reinstated.